Delayed chase is when a dog runs in the direction birds fly once
the dog has been released from pointing, backing, or stop-to-flush. Most
hunters don’t see delayed chase as a problem, and some even welcome it,
especially when a covey flushes and their dogs take off in the direction the
birds flew. However, if you compete in field trials or hunt tests, judges will
fault your dog for delayed chase and attempting to pursue birds once they have
flushed.
Last summer, I had a three-month-old pup that I’d just
started running on foot. The second time out, he took off and was about 800
yards ahead of me on the Garmin GPS dog-tracking system. This range floored me
until he did it again, and I realized he was running from johnny house to
johnny house. Even at such a young age, he remembered where the birds were.
In the 1990s, I had a big-going Brittany on the circuit and was visiting the
trainer. He ran the dog on horseback, and about halfway around he lost him. It
was not long before the trainer took off, riding hard. He returned with the dog.
I was in awe that he’d known exactly where to look. Later, I learned it was
simple: This dog had found birds, he’d remembered where they flew, and he’d
ditched us to go back and find them again. The trainer was not psychic; he
simply knew the dog, and knew to look where he’d had last found birds.
Delayed chase shows intelligence and the ability to
mark the bird’s flight, but in competition, a delayed chase may keep your dog
out of the ribbons. If you compete with your dog, you need to teach him not to
delay chase.
The best way to do this is to build good habits during
formal training, while your dog is wearing a check-cord. Anytime you release
your dog after bird work, say, “Here,” walk in the opposite direction, and give
a light tug with the check-cord. You may prefer using the heel command, but either
way, your dog learns to go in a different direction after bird work. Do not tap
your dog to release him from bird work as you would from a stand command or
relocation. Also, avoid using verbal commands such as okay or all
right, which can get you into trouble when used around birds. If you
are consistent and always give the here command (or heel
command) to ask your dog to go with you, your dog will never learn to delay
chase.
Bird dogs are predators. The better the breeding, the
more intelligent they are, and the more driven they are to find birds. Good
bird dogs naturally want to follow birds—it’s their instinct. Sometimes their
ingenuity can surprise you, as well as remind you not to underestimate them. By
anticipating your dog’s instinct to delay chase, you can use the here
command (or heel command) during formal training to build good habits
early, and to teach your dog to go with you, and not after the bird.
